


Goodbye Love

by normativejean



Category: General Hospital
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-30
Updated: 2010-12-30
Packaged: 2017-10-14 05:44:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/146011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/normativejean/pseuds/normativejean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been the middle of Christmas Eve dinner, with a forkful of turkey halfway to her lips, when Robin decided that she couldn't spend forever with Patrick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Goodbye Love

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Scrubs Board Secret Santa 2006, with spoilers through mid-December 2006 (in the midst of Robin's survivor's guilt). So very not canon-compliant.

It had been the middle of Christmas Eve dinner, with a forkful of turkey halfway to her lips, when Robin decided that she couldn't spend forever with Patrick.

Nothing particularly shocking had happened, nor had there been anything precipitating the revelation. The thought had been floating in the back of Robin's head from the beginning, even since that first horrible day when Patrick had been pricked by the needle and his whole world had been shortened to those next six months. His words from that day rang in her mind.

 _"Relationship by default."_

She couldn't be angry with him, not when she knew exactly what he was living through. She was fairly certain that Patrick didn't even remember ever saying those words to her. But Robin had always been a practical girl, and she had long ago learned that when she threw her sense out the window, bad things happened. Knowing the way of the world as she did, Robin had promised herself that she would always make decisions with Patrick's best interests at heart. She had sworn that she would never be so blinded by her own feelings for Patrick that she couldn't see what was best for _him_. The results of the last time she had chosen her own belief in what was right still haunted her.

What if she had never said anything? What if it was her own need to not hold onto a lie that had finally robbed Stone of his last bit of hope? She had thought that even one lie between them would mean the end of everything they had shared. But what if just one lie might have kept him alive? In her darkest moments, Robin wondered if telling Stone she was HIV-positive had been what killed him.

She couldn't do it again. She couldn't lose someone else to this disease. She couldn't lose someone else to her own selfish whims. She didn't doubt Patrick when he said he loved her, and she knew with a terrifying depth of soul that she loved him. But love and sorrow had always been too firmly enmeshed with one another for Robin to ever completely separate them, and for once she didn't want her love to be the cause of sorrow.

 _"Relationship by default."_

Robin knew that Patrick loved her, that he had taken the circumstances life had thrown at him and turned them into something better. He was always triumphant, she knew, and even as he faced down his own mortality, Robin had marveled at his seemingly endless ability to spin hay into gold. He had found peace amongst the chaos of his life, and Robin knew without a shadow of a doubt that if Patrick's tests came back with the answer she most feared, she would stay by his side forever. This disease would not take another love from her without a fight, and Robin had always been her parents' daughter.

If Patrick found himself having to follow his current path through to the end, Robin would walk by his side until she no longer could.

But if he was safe...

As much as it hurt her, Robin knew that if Patrick was free from the disease, if he had the chance to live his life as freely as possible, that she would let him go. She didn't know what peace for him would feel like, but she did know that Patrick had never asked for everything that followed in the wake of his exposure to HIV. Robin loved him, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Patrick's life would have been very, very different if he had never had to face being sick. And she loved him too much to deny him the chance to find out what his life should be like without fear of this disease.

 _"Relationship by default."_

It really was by default, regardless of whatever else it had blossomed into. Robin knew she would have to step aside and let Patrick find out who he was really supposed to be, who he should have been if the last six months of his life had not been robbed from him by the never-ending fear she knew only too well. Robin knew couldn't hold Patrick back from that chance. She knew this with a stark level of insight, because she knew that if ever given the same chance, if she ever had even a moment of being free from the curse in her blood, she would grab it with both hands and run away to where the world would never find her.

She knew that if Patrick was HIV-negative, she would push him away if she had to. She would make sure he lived the life he was supposed to have lived, even though it wasn't supposed to have been with her.

 _"Relationship by default."_

So Robin had sat there, surrounded by family, friends, and food, and had tried to give Patrick her brightest smile when she saw him glance her way. Then she swallowed her forkful of turkey, and tried not to cry at the thought of letting him go.

He would be safe, and she could live with dying just a little bit more.

***

The New Year's Eve party at the Metro Court was a long-standing tradition in Port Charles, dating back to when the hotel was merely the Port Charles Grill. But the traditional had outlasted the name change, and the Metro Court party was the place for the seen-and-be-seen crowd of Port Charles to be when the clock struck twelve.

Tradition had its advantages, and Patrick fully intended to make use of every single one.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked his father, Noah Drake, over lunch at Kelly's diner. His voice held only the faintest trace of uncertainty, the smallest remnants of a little boy seeking his father's approval.

Noah heard that tone, the little hitch in his son's voice, and could do nothing but smile gently. "You know I don't have a problem with this," he said. "I love Robin. In fact," he added with a twinkle in his eye, "I seem to recall pushing you down this path months ago."

Patrick flushed slightly, shoveling a spoonful of chili into his mouth. "Yeah, well," he mumbled, not at all happy that his father was rubbing _that_ little incident in his face, "I was young and stupid."

"So, what?" Noah asked dryly. "Six months later you're just stupid?"

"Ha, ha," Patrick replied, rolling his eyes. "The point is that I got here at all."

Noah laughed. "That's true. At least you know that Robin will be surprised."

A brilliant smile threatened to break out across Patrick's face. "She'll be happy though, won't she?" he asked, trying to imagine his girlfriend's face when the moment happened.

"Well," Noah said slowly, unable to keep the teasing tone out of his voice, "How did she react when you told her you loved her, again?"

Patrick paled and he buried his face in his hands. "Oh my God, you're right!" he groaned. "What the hell am I thinking? She never reacts well when I try to do something romantic!"

"Patrick." Noah's voice was calm and steady as he hastened to calm his son down. He reached out and pried Patrick's hands away from his face. "That was just her knee-jerk reaction, and she was terrified," he said. "You told me about what happened later that night."

Crimson color washed over Patrick's cheeks. "I did?"

Noah dropped Patrick's wrist like a hot potato. "Not... _that_!" he choked. "I don't ever want my mind to go there again!" Shaking his head to dispel the disturbing mental image of his son and Robin... _No_ , he thought furtively. _Just, no_. "I meant when you actually _made_ the big romantic gesture, as opposed to blurting out that you loved her in the middle of a fight. In fact," he mused, "If I recall correctly, didn't you bookend your declaration of love with a few well-placed insults?"

Patrick groaned again. "Fine, fine!" He threw up his hands in defeat. "So I completely screwed up the first big relationship move of my life." He frowned at his father. "So, what? Are you telling me that I should or shouldn't go through with this?"

Noah sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking at his son. "You already know that I adore Robin, and that I've hoped you would realize how right the two of you are for each other for a long time now. I think that if you're ready, then I'm behind you one-hundred percent."

Patrick nodded slowly, his shoulders sagging in relief. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Yeah, I am ready. This feels like the simplest decision I've ever made."

"Then I'm there for you, however you need me to be." Noah smiled sadly. "That was the same way I felt when I realized I wanted to marry your mother," he said softly. "I'd spent so long running away from any sort of commitment with a woman, that when it hit me, it just _hit_ me." Noah's eyes went out of focus slightly as he remembered the time of his life he was talking about. "Marrying your mother was the easiest thing I ever did."

"Do you..." Patrick trailed off and looked down at the table. The wealth of good things in his life would always feel bittersweet next to the one thing he could never have back. "Do you think Mom would have liked her?"

Noah nodded. "Your mother would have loved her," he said simply. "Mattie and Robin would have gotten along beautifully. Probably would have broken every mother- and- daughter-in law rule in the book."

Patrick laughed. In his heart he had always known that his mother would have adored Robin, but hearing his father say it out loud...The confirmation of it comforted Patrick. It let him know that he wasn't alone in thinking so, and he wasn't crazy for it. Robert Scorpio had once said that any family would be proud to have Patrick as a member, and now Patrick felt like he could definitively say the same thing about Robin.

"That said..." Noah reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small jeweler's box. He held it out over the table for Patrick to take. "I can say with absolute certainty that your mom would have given this to you herself if she could have."

Taking the box, Patrick fingered it for a moment before gently prying it open. "It's just enough that I got here at all," he said softly. "If you had told me a year ago that this is where I'd end up..."

Noah chuckled. "You'd have had me committed, I think."

"I'd have had _myself_ committed for even listening to you long enough to hear everything," Patrick replied dryly, still toying with the tiny object inside the box.

"But you did get here," Noah insisted gently. Pausing for a moment, he took a breath before broaching the topic he had been dreading ever since Patrick had asked him for this momentous favor. "You get your final results soon..."

"December 31." Patrick nodded. "New Year's Eve day. I'll either start the new year with great news or terrible news."

Noah leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "You have to...This has to be factoring into your decision, Patrick. Are you sure..." He cut himself off, struggling with the right way to say what he needed to say. "I just want to make sure you're doing this for the right reasons. You can't be doing this because you think your life might be over."

"I'm doing this because either way, my life is just beginning." Patrick met his father's eyes, strength and determination shining in his own. "It doesn't matter what the test results say. However long I have...however long we have," he couldn't fight the bitter taste that crept into his mouth at the thought of Robin's known mortality, "I want to live every moment to the fullest, and I want to live them with Robin." He shrugged slightly. "This is it. Whatever happens next, I want to face it with her."

"And if you're healthy?" Noah pressed. "If the last six months become nothing more than a horrible nightmare?"

"If I test negative," Patrick replied, "Then the last six months served as a hell of a wake-up call. What I feel for Robin was already there, way before I was exposed to HIV." He sighed and looked at the small black box in his hand. "Positive or negative, my feelings won't change. I want this more than anything."

Noah smiled, nodding at Patrick. "Good. I just had to make sure."

Patrick rolled his eyes. "Why, so you could talk me out of this if I didn't give you the right answer?"

"No," Noah retorted. "So I could smack you upside the head and help you get to the right answer in the first place."

Patrick raised his eyebrows. "And the right answer would be?"

"I think I want to hear you say it one more time," Noah chuckled. "Humor an old man."

Smiling, Patrick looked at the delicate diamond-and-platinum ring that had once belonged to his mother resting in the jeweler's box. He would never admit it, but he was starting to like saying the words out loud.

"I want to marry Robin."

***

Robin set the cup of coffee on the table and sat down, looking around at the house she had called her home for so long. She always felt strange whenever she visited her old house, despite that she had lived there for most of her Port Charles life. It was just another face of growing up, she supposed. She could go for years without setting foot inside this place, and yet the moment she returned, it inevitably felt as though those years were nothing more than a fading dream, and she had never left her childhood home.

"You look pensive."

Robin turned around and smiled at the person to whom the voice belonged. The only other constant of her life, her uncle, Mac Scorpio, stepped into the living room and opened his arms, waiting to fold his niece into a hug.

"It's never a good sign when you're pensive," Mac continued, wrapping his arms around Robin. "When you get that look, it usually means I'm about to get a few more gray hairs."

Chuckling, Robin pulled back and rolled her eyes at her uncle. "Very funny, Uncle Mac. And that gray is distinguishing."

"Well, to be fair," Mac continued, taking a seat on the couch next to Robin, "I'm sure that a good potion of this is premature." He ignored her delicate snort "And I'm sure it is at least partly due to Maxie and Georgie. They get that pensive look, too."

Robin grinned wickedly. "Of course they do. Who do you think taught them how to make that face?"

"I knew it!" Mac grumbled good-naturedly. "I knew it wasn't just a coincidence."

"Now really, Uncle Mac," Robin chided lightly. "Haven't you always told them that they should take after me?"

Mac snorted and picked up his coffee cup. "Oh yes, this was _exactly_ the sort of thing I wanted you to teach my daughters."

"Hey, beggars can't be choosers." Robin laughed at Mac's pained expression and leaned back, allowing the soft, broken-in cushions to mold around her body. Nowhere else had ever felt like _home_ as much as the Scorpio house, and it was the only place Robin felt safe bringing up the topic she was currently avoiding. She sipped her coffee and looked around the room, remembering so many things that had happened within its walls.

Mac followed Robin's lead and fell into the silence, stealing glances at his beloved niece over the rim of his cup. He knew she hadn't just dropped in for a visit; she never did that anymore, and Mac suspected that was only partly because she was an adult now. He wondered when exactly it was that Robin had stopped seeking comfort from her loved ones when she was hurt, but he knew it was suspiciously timed with her unceremonious rejection from Jason's and Sonny's lives. Mac bristled internally; no matter what else those two did, what they had done to Robin would always be their biggest crime.

But Robin _was_ there now, and she had the same look on her face that she wore whenever she wanted to talk about something that was hurting her. Mac mentally ran through a checklist for Robin's life, and came to the conclusion that there were two possible suspects for her current mood: either she was still feeling the effects of Laura's deterioration, or something had happened with Patrick Drake.

Mac hoped it was the latter because, just for once, he really wanted to be able to shoot the cause of Robin's pain.

The silence grew less comfortable and more stifling, and Mac knew that one of them would have to bring up Robin's reason for visiting. Sighing, he figured he may as well suck it up and ask the question. "So," he said casually, "Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to tell me about whatever's wrong?"

Robin jerked slightly, but kept her eyes resolutely focused on her coffee. "I can't just stop by for a visit, Uncle Mac?" she asked tightly, straining too much for calm.

Mac set his cup down onto the table and turned to the side so he could fully face Robin. "Don't even try that," he told her. "You know that no matter where you go, what you do, or how old you get, that this will always be your home." He sighed again when Robin still kept her eyes downcast on her coffee. "But the flipside of always having a home with the family who raised you is that your family gets to know you pretty well." He reached out and tilted Robin's chin towards him. "And I know what that look on your face means. And since I've never been very good at subtlety, I figured that I might as well just go ahead and ask."

Robin's face was drawn and her eyes wider that usual. Mac knew that was a sure sign that she was about to crack. "I love you, Robin," he said gently. "Since the day I came to town and you were the only one making an effort to get to know your father's crazy brother," they both chuckled at that, though Robin's sounded a bit watery, "I have always known that I would take care of you and protect you however I could. And I'd like to think that I've been there for you through everything." Pausing, he tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes and went in for the kill. "I would hope that by now you know you can tell me anything and that I'll always love you, no matter what."

That did it. The wall Robin had constructed to hold everything back crumbled, and with a sob she launched herself into her uncle's arms, her whole body shaking as she cried. "Oh God, Uncle Mac!" she wailed against his shoulder, "Everything went so wrong and I don't know where it went wrong and it's all wrong!"

Mac wrapped his arms tighter around Robin, rubbing her back soothingly. "Okay, it's okay," he murmured, suddenly remembering a similar night fifteen years ago, when they had first found out that the only other people left in Robin and Mac's family wouldn't be coming home.

 _"It'll be okay, Robin. I'll make sure of it," Mac had said then, "I'll make sure of it."_

"It'll be okay, Robin," he said again. "I'll make sure of it."

Robin pulled back slightly and laughed wetly. "I'd forgotten how good you were at making me talk about my problems."

Mac snorted and kissed the top of his niece's head. "Well, they didn't make me Police Commissioner because I looked good in the uniform."

Robin laughed again and pulled back, but kept herself close enough to lean on Mac's shoulder. "It's just..." she started. "I don't know where everything went so wrong. And now I might have to do something terrible, that'll hurt me but might save another person from a life they were never meant to lead."

 _Oh God_ , Mac thought in a panic, _Please don't say Carly stole another baby!_ "Um, Robin..." he asked tentatively. "Does this...I mean, is this about..."

Robin sighed and nodded, rubbing the remaining tears out of her eyes. "Yeah, it's about Patrick."

"Oh, thank God," Mac muttered. Off Robin's confused look, Mac hastened to cover himself. "I mean, thank God it's about Patrick, because if it's about a guy that hurt you, then I can just go shoot him and fix everything." Well, at least that wasn't a _total_ lie.

Rolling her eyes, Robin shook her head. "Uncle Mac, Patrick hasn't done anything to make you shoot him. Besides, if he had, don't you think I'm capable of shooting him myself?"

"Well," Mac chuckled, "It's a parent's prerogative to protect their kids." He nudged her shoulder slightly. "Now tell me what's wrong if everything's going well."

"He told me he loved me," Robin said quietly. "He's in love with me, Uncle Mac." Laughing sadly, she brushed at another tear that fought its way out of her eye. "Patrick Drake is in love with me, and he even did this big romantic thing to prove it."

"He shouldn't have needed to prove it," Mac grumbled.

Robin laughed at that. "Well, I may have yelled at him a little the first time he told me."

"Of course you did," Mac said sympathetically. "I've met the guy. He needs to be yelled at more often. My gun can yell at him, if you'd like."

"Uncle Mac!" Robin laughed. "Would you stop threatening him?"

"Hey, this is the first guy in a long time who's respected the law enough to fear me!" Mac defended himself. "And if you're not going to tell me what he did, then I'm just going to have to assume he needs to be threatened."

Robin gave him a small, sad smile, and settled back into the comfortable sofa. "That's just the thing," she said. "He's nearly perfect. Don't ever tell him I said that, because his shoulders can barely support his head as it is, but he's...he's so wonderful." She sighed deeply. "And that's the problem."

Mac furrowed his brow as he tried to decipher what Robin was hinting at. "The problem is that he's...great?" he asked carefully. When Robin nodded, Mac felt a headache coming on, just as it always did whenever he had to discuss his girls' romantic lives. "So, let me make sure I understand. Patrick is great, he's treating you well, he's in love with you, he's scared of _me_ , and this all results in you crying on my shoulder and saying that everything is wrong?"

Robin nodded silently.

Mac rubbed his hands over his face and groaned. At the rate things were going, his girls were going to make him prematurely bald. "Robin, it sounds like Patrick is a good man for you. Of course, I'm not saying that I actually _like_ the guy, because no man will ever be good enough for you. But the kind of person you're describing sounds like he might...actually be good for you."

Robin quirked an eyebrow. "Because my taste in men in the past hasn't been that great?"

"I'm not saying that," Mac sighed, reaching out a hand and rubbing Robin's shoulder. "Well, okay, Jason, so yes. But you more than proved me wrong with Stone, so I'm willing to give Patrick a chance, too."

"Stone..." Robin bit her lower lip and stared ahead, a faraway look in her eyes. "Uncle Mac?" she asked suddenly, turning to face him. "Do you think people can change? I mean, do you believe that they can ever fundamentally change who they are?"

Mac cocked his head thoughtfully. This might lead somewhere. "Well," he said only half-seriously, "Are you suggesting that beneath my stern and law-abiding exterior lies the still-beating heart of a ruthless mercenary?"

Robin giggled, but she quickly sobered. "You were always a good guy underneath, Uncle Mac. I always knew it, even when things were stacked against you."

"You have a good sense about people, Robin," Mac said. "You were right about me. You pushed me so hard to see the good in Stone, and you were right about that, too."

"And there was Jason--"

Mac held up a hand, silencing her. "We're just going to have to agree to disagree on that one." He looked at Robin. "But I have the sense this conversation isn't about me or Stone or Jason. I think you're just going to have to trust your instincts about Patrick. They rarely lead you wrong, and no matter how much you've been hurt in your life, you've never failed to surround yourself with a high caliber of people."

Robin was quiet, staring down at her coffee cup. She seemed to be thinking deeply about something, and after several moments she sighed deeply and stood up. "You're right," she said, her voice laced with sadness. "I have to go with my instinct on this, no matter how much it hurts."

Mac stood as well, something in Robin's voice concerning him. "Robin? For what it's worth, I really do think Patrick has turned out to be a stand-up guy." He didn't know the entire story, but Mac had a finely-honed sense when it came to things distressing his family, and at that moment his senses were screaming at him to keep Robin from acting on whatever decision she appeared to have just made. "Robin..." he tried again.

Robin smiled at him, her face too-bright for the expression to be natural. "Thanks, Uncle Mac," she said too-cheerfully. "I have to go. I'll see you at the New Year's Eve party, okay?" She was heading for the door before Mac could respond.

"Robin!" Mac called, chasing after his niece as she ran out the front door. "Robin!" He couldn't stop her as she climbed into her car and, with a wave, drove off.

Mac walked back inside and closed the front door, leaning heavily against it. He wasn't entirely sure what had just happened, but he had the horrible feeling that Robin was about to get her heart broken again. He only hoped that there would still be enough pieces left to put everything back together in the end.

***  
The Metro Court New Year's Eve party was, with no doubt in anybody's mind, the place to be that New Year's Eve.

Jax and Carly had spared no expense to throw the ultimate in Port Charles parties, and everyone who had been fortunate enough to wrangle an invitation knew that any event in the following twelve months would be hard-pressed to beat it.

Patrick sipped his champagne, both his test results and the ring burning holes in his jacket pockets. He glanced around the room, looking for Robin; they had arrived together, but she had quickly been pulled away by her cousins to resolve some dispute. Patrick didn't pay attention to high school gossip, but he couldn't imagine that any problem involving Maxie, Georgie, and Lulu could be a good thing.

"You look like you're thinking deeply there, Doc," a voice said from behind him. "You'd best stop that. New Year's Eve is no time for deep thoughts."

Patrick turned around and smiled in greeting. "Hello, Luke," he said. "I didn't realize you were back in town."

A sad look shadowed Luke Spencer's eyes for a moment, but it was gone before anyone could see it. "Yeah, well. Between the insistent calls from my daughter and my wife's, ah, _attempts_ to track me down, I figured it was best if I came back to old Port Chuck for a bit. Besides," he chuckled, "I've heard that who you ring in the new year with signals how the next twelve months will go."

"Hm," Patrick murmured. "I wouldn't have pegged you for the superstitious type."

The sad look returned, and this time it didn't leave. "I'm getting old, I guess," Luke said, sipping his Scotch. "I've seen and done things you can't even dream up, Dr. Drake, and my life hasn't exactly ended with a happily ever after." He sighed, looking across the room at where Lulu stood with Robin and Georgie, in a heated debate about something. "I figured it couldn't hurt to try doing the 'normal' thing for once."

Patrick didn't say anything, and watched the women across the room with Luke in silence. Lulu and Georgie didn't appear to be getting along, but they both seemed to be listening to whatever Robin was saying to them. The test results and ring suddenly felt very heavy in his pocket and he turned to Luke. "Can I ask you something personal?"

Luke raised his eyebrows. "You've never struck me as a boundaries kind of guy," he remarked. "Ask away. Of course, I reserve the right to pop you one if I think you're being fresh."

Swallowing, Patrick wasn't entirely certain that Luke was joking. Still, he needed to know. "Was it worth it?" he asked quietly. "Us bringing Laura back for such a short time, only for you to have to say good-bye to her again, was it worth it?"

Luke didn't say anything, and Patrick was suddenly very afraid that the older man was about to punch him in the face. But after a few moments, he heard a sigh and Luke answered.

"The hardest thing I've ever had to do was say good-bye to Laura again, knowing that I would never get her back again after this. But if you're asking me if I would go back and not do it, if I would refuse to try the drug, or even not fall in love with Laura at all, then my answer is an absolute _no_."

"But how did you do it?" Patrick pressed, needing to know. "How did you keep going on, day after day, knowing that it was going to end?"

"Why don't you just ask me what you really want to," Luke said dryly. "You want to know how I could love Laura when I knew that my time with her would end."

Patrick looked down at his champagne glass. He had always gotten the sense that Luke Spencer didn't dance around whatever he wanted to say, but he hadn't expected the man to be so stark about such a painful part of his own life. "Yeah," Patrick said hoarsely. "Yeah, I guess that's exactly what I want to know."

Luke looked at Patrick, then across the room at Robin. "Do me a favor, Drake," he said tiredly, feeling his age for the first time in his life. "Don't let her go. Grab onto whatever time you've been given with her, and hold onto it with everything you've got. 'Cause when the real thing comes along," he threw back the rest of his Scotch and began walking away in search of the open bar, "It's stronger than anything. When it's real, then _nothing_ \-- not death, not darkness, not that endless sleep that Laura's in -- can tear it apart. When it's real, the fight is always worth it."

As he was leaving, Luke offered one final thought to Patrick. "And Drake? I hope like hell you've got a long and crazy life ahead of you with Robin."

Patrick watched Luke eave through the crowd, eventually disappearing onto the other side of the ballroom. Patrick watched the crowd for a moment, then gulped down the rest of his champagne, set the glass down on a nearby table, and strode across the room towards Robin. He couldn't put it off anymore; he needed to know his test results, and he needed to know Robin's answer.

It was time to fight for his future.

***

"Ooh," Robin murmured, rubbing her arms briskly. "I didn't realize it'd gotten so cold tonight." She looked at Patrick and smiled as they walked out onto on of the balconies of the ballroom. "The weather's been so weird this winter, I guess I just thought it would be warm tonight, too."

Patrick nodded but didn't say anything; he merely kept his hand at the small of her back and guided her over to the railing. They had an amazing view of the Port Charles waterfront and were far enough away from the door that the rest of the partygoers wouldn't disturb them. Patrick knew he needed all his concentration to get through whatever happened next.

Robin leaned against the railing, looking out over the view of the harbor. She shivered again, and a stray memory floated through her mind.

 _"We never got to the seashore so you could swim with the dolphins."_

 _"Another lifetime."_

Robin shivered again and squeezed her eyes tight against the memory. _Not tonight_ , she told herself. _Not tonight, not with him._ She had already put Patrick through so much because of her memories of Stone; she wouldn't make him walk down that road again with her that night. Not on New Year's Eve, not when he needed all the good wishes he could get before facing his final test results.

"Hey." Patrick's voice broke through her reverie. "Where did you go just now?"

Robin blinked and smiled up at him. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just looking at the water. It's so beautiful with all the Christmas lights still up."

She could give Patrick the rest of his life, at least.

Patrick nodded and stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on the top of her head. They stood there in silence for a while, staring at the water and trying not to think about the only thing on either of their minds.

"Patrick?" Robin finally murmured.

He sighed above her and turned her around to face him. "Yeah."

Robin sighed too and looked up at him, concern and a trace of fear in her eyes. "We can't start the new year without at least talking about it. You're getting your final test results soon, right?"

Patrick didn't say anything. Instead, he released her and moved beside her, leaning against the railing. His hand rested against the pocket the envelop was in and he involuntarily clenched his fist. Robin was right; he couldn't put it off any more. "Actually," he said hoarsely, "I got the test results earlier today."

Robin gasped. "You did? Why didn't you tell me?" She pressed a small hand against his arm, moving him to face her. She searched his face for some clue as to what his results had been. "Patrick?" she asked nervously? "Is it...is it bad?"

Patrick inhaled and let out a slow, shaky breath. "I, ah...I haven't opened it yet."

"Oh." Robin really wasn't sure how to respond to that. Was Patrick as uncertain about what would happen next as she was?

"I just..." he continued, pulling out the envelop that held his future. "You've been with me through all of this, Robin," he said, a bit more strength entering his voice. "You've held my hand every step of the way and I couldn't...I couldn't open it alone." He gave her a rueful smile. "It seems that I can't really imagine doing much of anything without you."

Robin stared up at him with moist eyes. For just a moment, she hated the sincerity that met her in his gaze. He had meant every word he had just said, and that made everything so much more painful. Robin had prayed for nothing else the past six months except for Patrick's health, and she still hoped only that the test results were negative. Still, she had always known herself to be a bit selfish when it came to the people she loved, and she couldn't stop the insidious thought that crept into her mind just then as she prayed one more time for Patrick's safety.

 _I'm not ready to say goodbye to him yet._

She hated that she could think that, but she knew that if his test results put him in the clear, she would have to say goodbye to Patrick for good that night. No sense in dragging out the hurt for either one of them, was there? The only thing Robin wanted more than Patrick's health was Patrick's happiness, and she was certain that part of that happiness would be for him to discover what life he should have led if the HIV scare had never choked him.

"Robin?" Patrick said suddenly, his voice shaking. "I don't..."

"Patrick?" Robin pulled him to her tightly, wrapping her arms around his back and resting her head against his chest. She loved that feeling so much. But the tremble in his voice was too much for her to bear; her Patrick should never have to sound like that. "Tell me what's wrong," she whispered soothingly, rubbing gentle circles on his lower back.

"I just..." He swallowed, feeling a swell of love rush over him as he looked at Robin. There she was, he thought, so selfless. It had only taken a few words for her to turn her entire focus onto helping him. He loved her so much at that moment, he thought his heart might burst. He knew at that moment that he could face anything, even the test results that he had only ever seen in his worst nightmares.

"I love you," he said, more firmly this time. "I just wanted you to know that. I'm terrified right now. I don't want to open that envelop, because whatever it says will change my life forever. I just...promise me something?" he said suddenly, fiercely. He looked into her eyes, his own burning intensely. When Robin simply nodded, her eyes reflecting nothing but love and trust, Patrick felt safe to continue. "Promise me that no matter what happens, that you'll always be here? I couldn't...I need you, and I think I finally realize just how much. So can you promise me that? Can you promise that no matter what those results say, that you'll stay with me?"

Robin almost had to shut her eyes against the raw emotion she saw on Patrick's face. She felt it in his entire body, really; he was tense and taut, wound up so tightly that Robin didn't think it would take much more than a strong breeze at that moment to make him fall apart. How could she answer him honestly? How could she promise to be with him forever, when she was almost certain that he would be negative? How could she promise to always be with him when she knew that she would have to walk away if he was safe?

At that moment, however, she saw how much he needed her, how much he was leaning on her. Robin had never doubted that Patrick had come to love her and depend on her throughout the entire HIV nightmare, and that had only strengthened her resolve to walk away if he was healthy. The man Patrick had been six months ago would never have been saying the words that Patrick was saying to her now. She would have to let him discover the kind of man he was really supposed to be, without all that she had come to symbolize to him standing in his way.

But she couldn't lie to him. No matter what else had come to pass, she would never be able to lie to him.

"I promise," she said slowly, forcing the words out even as she felt her tears choke her, "That I will always love you. No matter what those test results say, Patrick, I can promise that I will always love you."

And it was true. No matter what Patrick did or who he did it with, Robin knew with absolute certainty that she would always love Patrick. She almost laughed. _I guess my father was right after all_ , she thought. _I found the third great love of my life._

A beautiful smile spread over Patrick's face, and Robin felt her heart break just a little bit more. "Good," he breathed. "That's...that's really good to hear." He bent down and pressed a soft, loving kiss against Robin's lips, trying to convey all that he felt for her in the single physical act. "I love you," he murmured against her mouth, still smiling. "Nothing changes that, okay?"

Robin could only nod, and she hoped that he couldn't hear the sound of her heart shattering.

"I guess," Patrick said, pulling back and taking a deep breath, "That there's no use putting it off anymore."

"Wait!" Robin cried, grabbing his hand as he moved to unseal the envelop. "What if..." She bit her lip frantically. "What if we just waited until tomorrow?" she asked. "What if we just gave ourselves this one last night?" She hated herself just then; if he was sick, then they would need to know right away. They couldn't delay putting Patrick on an appropriately modified protocol for even a day.

Patrick shook his head and gently squeezed Robin's hand. He understood her feelings too well; part of him had wanted nothing more than to tuck away the test results until tomorrow, to just give himself one last night without the knowledge of whatever was inside the envelop. But he knew he couldn't start the new year with this hanging between him and Robin, and the more he thought about Luke's words, the more he realized the older man was right: real love, Patrick had come to realize, was worth fighting for. And he would need to know whether he was healthy or not in order to begin the rest of his life with Robin, fighting for their love.

It didn't matter what the test results said. Patrick couldn't wait to show Robin his mother's ring and ask her to marry him.

"No," he said, kissing Robin again. "I have to know. We can't celebrate the new year knowing that this is waiting for us tomorrow. We can't start the new year off with a lie."

Robin closed her eyes. In that, at least, they agreed. "Right," she sighed. "No more wondering, and no lies." She looked up at him sadly. "Start the new year with a clean slate."

Patrick nodded. _Well_ , he thought, _best get this over with. Like a band-aid._ And without thinking it over again, he ripped through the seal on the envelop and pulled out the single sheet of paper that told his future.

He read the results and stopped breathing.

"Patrick?" Robin asked nervously. "Patrick? Oh God...What is it?"

Patrick didn't say anything, couldn't say anything. He just handed her the results of the lab test.

"It's..." Robin scanned the paper and felt her own breath leave her body. "Negative," she gasped. The reality settled over her, and she looked up at Patrick with shock and joy. "Oh my God, Patrick! It's negative! You're safe!"

"It's negative..." Patrick breathed, scarcely willing to believe it. "Oh God, tell me I'm not just seeing things..."

Robin grinned brilliantly at him. The only thing she had wanted since July, and for once her wish had been granted. "You're not seeing things," she said. "It's negative!"

Patrick let out a whooping laugh and pulled Robin into a bone-crunching embrace, picking her up and spinning her around. "It's negative!" he screamed into the night. "Oh my God, it's negative!"

Robin laughed too, holding onto Patrick just as tightly. He was safe, she kept repeating to herself, he was safe.

He hugged her tightly one more time before setting her down. Patrick kissed her fiercely, still riding the high of the moment. He was going to be okay, he thought ecstatically. He would be okay...

"I'm sorry," he whispered as a sobering thought hit him.

Robin pulled back and stared at him in confusion. "Sorry for what?"

Patrick brushed back a strand of hair that had come loose from the complicated style Robin had maneuvered her hair into for the night. "I'm sorry this didn't happen for you, too."

Robin shook her head, her arms still wrapped around Patrick's neck. "Don't dwell," she whispered against his lips, knowing the double meaning of her words would be lost on him. "Don't dwell on what can't be. All that matters is that you're safe." She felt a few tears leak from her eyes as she thought about what she would have to do now. "The only thing I care about is that you're going to be safe." Stepping back, she began saying the hardest words of her life. "You can get back to your life now," she smiled sadly.

Patrick wasn't sure why she suddenly sounded so sad, but he guessed it was because she couldn't completely hide that neither she nor Stone had gotten to see tests like that. Patrick couldn't help but once again be amazed at Robin's strength. Even now, as she so obviously struggled with something painful and heartbreaking, she was trying to make things okay for him.

He couldn't wait any longer.

"Robin," Patrick said, taking her hand. "There's something I have to talk to you about."

Robin blinked and looked at him, suddenly wondering if Patrick had been thinking along the same lines as her. Was it possible that he had known that if he tested negative that he would want to return to his old life as soon as possible? A dark part of her actually hoped so, because she honestly didn't know if she was strong enough to walk away on her own. "What...what is it?" she choked out.

Patrick squeezed her hand again, shifted nervously on his feet, and started talking. "I love you. You know that, and I know you love me too. Because you have good taste, of course," he added, flashing a dimpled grin; Robin couldn't help but smile back. That was the Patrick she had always known. "And we're good together. Personally, professionally, whatever. We challenge each other, and I think we make each other better that we were when we were apart. And each day, we just get better and better. I, ah..." he reached into his pocket, "I had planned on doing this regardless of what my test results said. But now that I know that things are going to be okay, I know that it's the right thing to do."

When Patrick got down on his knee and opened the small black box to reveal a diamond ring, Robin burst into tears.

"Robin," Patrick said, hope and love covering his face, "Will you marry me?"

She couldn't stop crying. How was this possible?! In all her planning, this scenario had never entered Robin's mind when she envisioned how the night would go. How was she supposed to walk away from Patrick when he was down on his knee, a ring out in supplication?

How was she supposed to stay, she wondered, knowing that he would never have asked her at all if he hadn't been living in a state of fear for six months?

She felt her resolve returning, but she couldn't look at Patrick. She had to compose herself, or she would never get through this. Patrick's actions, his question -- oh God, had Patrick Drake really just proposed marriage to her? -- were not the real him, she knew. Or at least, they weren't the real him if he hadn't been forced to take that sudden detour. She could do this, she thought firmly. She just had to remember that the Patrick of six months ago would never have been ready for such a dramatic life change such as _this_ without the cloud of HIV hanging over his head. And no matter how relieved he was, Robin knew that cloud still had to be there, influencing his decisions.

She could do this.

"Robin?" Patrick asked, starting to feel a bit uncertain. "You kinda went away again...this isn't a great place to leave me..."

But that was exactly what she had to do. "I'm sorry," she forced out. "I...You'll never know how sorry I am..."

Patrick's eyes widened at her words. She couldn't be...? _No_ , he thought vehemently. She wouldn't walk away from him now. Not like this. "Robin?"

She ripped her hand away from his, covering her mouth in a vain attempt to keep her sobs from being audible. "I'm so sorry Patrick," she whispered. "But I can't."

Patrick jumped up, panic coursing through his body. "What are you talking about?" he asked frantically. "Of course you can! You just say yes!"

Robin shook her head, her eyes shut as she tried to stave off her tears. It didn't work. "I can't marry you, Patrick," she sobbed. "And I can't be with you anymore. I'm sorry. It's over."

He reached for her, but she backed away and ran towards the balcony entrance, ignoring him as he cried after her.

"Robin!" he shouted, the ring still in his extended hand. But she didn't turn around.

And then Patrick was alone on the balcony, his world stopping just hours before a new year would begin.

***

Robin hid in the bathroom for nearly two hours, crying. She knew she should leave, she knew she should go back and explain things to Patrick, and she knew she should beg Patrick for forgiveness and start a life with him. It wasn't helping her at all that none of those options lent themselves to supporting each other, and the crushing reality of what she had done was so stifling that she could barely breathe.

She could hear the partygoers outside the door, reveling and celebrating the new year that would soon begin. Part of her wanted to scream at them to shut up, to make everyone as miserable as her. But that wasn't fair. Robin had known all her life that happiness and lightheartedness were things for other people. She was just glad to have given Patrick the chance to go back to being on of those people before she could ruin him, too.

 _Patrick..._

God, just thinking his name made fresh tears fall from Robin's eyes. She rubbed furiously at her eyes, cursing them for betraying her. She needed to breathe, she needed to compose herself long enough to sneak out of the party without anyone noticing her. And the sobbing wreck that she currently was would definitely attract the kind of attention she didn't want at the moment.

 _Was he still there?_

Robin couldn't help but wonder what Patrick was doing at that moment. Was he still at the party, attempting to ring in the new year in the style he had been so accustomed to until this year? Or had he left after she did, gone home to nurse his pride -- which Robin knew had to have been bruised, if for no other reason than that no woman had ever said no to him before -- and get ready to start his life fresh tomorrow?

The more she thought about Patrick's new lease on life and what -- or who, a dark, bitter part of her thought -- the smaller the walls of the stall felt. Suddenly, Robin felt like she couldn't breathe and she burst out of the tiny stall, bracing her hands against the sink counter. She breathed in deep, heaving gasps, tingling heat rolling over her body. Her arms buckled and she leaned her head down against the sink, letting the cool porcelain sooth her fevered brow. _Great_ , she thought distantly, _I'm having a panic attack._

She reached for one of the cloth hand towels that were provided for guests at the luxury hotel and ran it under cold water, placing it on the back of her neck and sighing at the relief it provided. She couldn't believe she was reacting to what she had done in such a way; but then, Robin had always feared the depth of her feelings for Patrick. The last time she remembered having a complete physical breakdown was after Stone had died. She supposed she should have known this would happen; everything she had ever felt for Patrick had always been intense, even when she couldn't stand him.

How far she'd come...

The walls of the spacious restroom still seemed too tiny, and the cool cloth had helped enough that Robin felt she could quietly escape. Taking a deep, though still shaky, breath, Robin opened the door and peeked outside. The party was gearing up to its conclusion, and Robin saw that one of the large clocks that had been hung on the walls read 11:50. It was nearly New Year's, and Robin knew she would never be able to get out of the hotel now. She would never be able to fight her way through the crowds to the elevators, and she didn't even want to think about what the roads would be like in the moments before and after midnight rang in. She would have to stay there, but she couldn't face anybody.

She needed air.

Creeping along the wall, Robin made her way to the other side of the room without running into anyone, a stroke of luck she was imminently grateful for. She felt choked in the crowded ballroom, full of cheering people and loud music. She paused, though, when she reached the nearest balcony.

It was the one she had left Patrick on. The one where her heart had stopped beating for good.

Quickly scanning the room, Robin was dismayed to find that the next-nearest balcony was a good twenty feet away, and that the only way she could get there would be to walk right by Carly Corinthos. She _knew_ she wouldn't be able to handle a run-in with the other woman that night, not when she was feeling the way she was. The only choice, it seemed, was to return to the scene of her crime.

 _No_ , she thought swiftly. She had done this for Patrick's own good. He deserved the chance to find out what his life should have really been like. They would have fallen apart eventually, but by ending things quickly and cleanly, Robin was sure she had saved them both a lot of pain and anger in the long run. She knew Patrick would be furious with her for a long time after this, but she also knew that it would be as much his ego talking as it was any residual feelings for her. If there was one thing that Robin knew had remained the same in Patrick since his exposure, it was his arrogance.

There was no way Patrick was still out there, she was sure, and she couldn't take the chance of running into him if she stayed inside much longer. If nothing else, she felt confident that he wouldn't be returning to the balcony, and she could stay there safely alone.

Checking one least time to make sure no one was watching her, Robin opened the balcony door and walked outside, quickly shitting it behind her. She leaned against the terrace wall and breathed in deeply, letting the cool night air soothe her fevered body and mind.

"You owe me one _hell_ of an explanation."

Robin's eyes shot open at the sound of the voice. _No_ , she thought frantically, _it can't be..._

Patrick stepped away from the other corner of the balcony where he had been standing in the shadows. He stalked forward, stopping a few feet away from her. "What the hell _was_ that, Robin?" he asked, pain and anger vying for dominance in his tone. Patrick had been reeling through too many emotions to name since Robin had left him there, and even then, seeing her in front of him looking like death warmed over, he couldn't pin down what he was feeling. All he knew was that he was hurting, angry, and confused. He wanted answers.

"Robin," he growled again. "What happened before? What _was_ that?" Robin started crying, and the fight left him as quickly as it had arrived. "God," he muttered, feeling very, very drained. Patrick walked away from her and leaned against the railing, his head drooping as he struggled to make sense of everything. How was it possible that only two hours ago his entire world had finally righted itself? He was healthy and he was proposing marriage. Now, after what Robin had done, his health felt like a hallow victory.

Robin struggled to catch her breath. Why, _why_ was he still out there? God, she hadn't been prepared to explain everything to him that night, not so soon after making the hardest decision of her life. Robin felt so raw, and the thought of having to talk this all through with Patrick, of having to tell him that she understood that he would need to return to his real life, might just break her.

But he was right, Robin owed him an explanation, and it didn't look like she would get the emotional reprieve she had hoped for. It figured, she thought, that when she finally tried to do the right thing where someone else was concerned, that it would bite her in the ass.

She walked up alongside him, leaning against the balcony a few feet away from Patrick. She couldn't bear to feel his body heat, not then. "I am glad that you're healthy," she said softly.

Patrick shrugged, not looking at her. "It doesn't really matter, does it?" He laughed humorlessly. "So what was I, then? You're project?"

"What?" Robin gasped. "How could you even think that?"

"You tell me!" Patrick whirled around to face her. "You're with me and supportive, basically everything I could have ever dreamed of during that nightmare, and the minute it ends, you drop me like yesterday's garbage."

"Patrick!" Robin couldn't believe what he was saying. How could he think that's what she was doing? "You know that's not true! I love you so much!"

"But you won't be with me, is that it?" he hissed. "So, what? You only go for guys when there's something wrong with them? Stone had AIDS and Jason was brain damaged beyond belief, and for a while there, I was the poor surgeon, crippled by his own need to see patients through to the ends of their surgeries. You only loved me because you thought you could fix me. That's it, isn't it?"

"No!" Robin cried, more tears spilling over her cheeks. "I loved you because I had never met a man as strong as you! Because you were incredible in every way!"

"Then what the hell happened?" Patrick asked desperately. "The moment you found out I was safe, you left me. What the hell am I supposed to think?"

"I'm trying to give you you're life back!" Robin screamed. "Don't you see that? How can you be healthy and still be with me? This wasn't who you were!"

Patrick felt like he had been punched in the stomach. "So that's what this is all about?" he asked disbelievingly. No, there was no way... "You still don't think I've changed, do you?" He swallowed as everything fell together. "Oh my God, that's what this is all about, isn't it? You don't think I've changed. You think that now that I know I'm HIV-negative that I'm just going to jump back to my dog ways." He laughed bitterly and ran a hand over his mouth.

That hurt more than anything, he thought. That Robin, the one person who ever really believed in him, thought he was still the same shallow bastard he had been when they met hurt more than anything, including her rejection. How could he have never seen this? "How did I miss it?" he muttered aloud. "How could I not see that you were just biding your time until it was safe for you to leave me?"

"That's not what this is about!" Robin argued, rubbing at her tears. "Don't you get it? This isn't who you were supposed to be! You're life got sidetracked six months ago and you've been living in abject fear that you were going to die! That does things to people, makes them do things they never would have done otherwise. Believe me, I know."

"So you think the last six months of my life were just some road stop?" Patrick gaped. "What, you think I fell in love with you just because you were _there_?"

"I don't doubt that you fell in love with me," Robin said quietly. "I never have. But you have to admit, that the man you were six months ago would never have said and done the things you have."

"That's because the man I was six months ago isn't the man I am now!" Patrick begged her to understand. "Six months ago my world shifted on its axis. And yeah, I changed. Anybody would. So now you're punishing me because I became a better man?"

"I'm not punishing you!" Robin shot back. She couldn't believe it had come to this. How could he not see what she was doing for him? "But you have to be able to find out who you were supposed to be!"

"I know who I am!" Patrick shouted back. "This is who I am! What is so difficult for you to understand about that?"

"This isn't who you were supposed to be!" she sobbed desperately. "This is who you would have been if your test results had been different! But now that that's over, you need to get back to your real life!"

"My real life is with you, you crazy woman!" Patrick shoved his hands onto his hips and paced, needing to work of some of his anger. It hit him, then, how easy it had been for her to walk away. "God, Robin," he said suddenly. "Did you ever really love me? Or was it just pity?"

Robin rushed to him, grabbing his arm and making him stop moving. "No! I meant it every time I said I loved you! I still love you!"

Patrick stared down at her, tears finally rolling down his cheeks and reflecting in the light of the party. "Then how could you walk away from me so easily?"

"You think this was easy?" Robin gasped. "This is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life! I don't know how anyone else is ever able to do this!"

That hit Patrick. "That's it, isn't it?" he said in wonder as he worked the idea over in his mind. "Everyone always leaves you, so you decided to leave me first?"

"What don't you understand!" she hissed angrily. "I'm doing this for _you_!"

"Then _stop_!" Patrick gripped Robin's arms. "Life happened, Robin! It happened, and it sucked beyond measure. But the one good thing about being exposed to HIV is that it made me finally pull my head out of my ass and admit how I felt about you! I would have gotten here either way. Why can't you accept that?"

"Patrick," Robin sobbed. "That's the whole point. Don't you see? You got here because something so tragic happened that it shook your entire world. You have to find out who you would be without that shock. Things like that, they change people in ways they might not otherwise be ready for. You have to find out if you really are ready for this kind of life."

Patrick let go of Robin. "This kind of life?" he repeated. "A life where I'm happy? Where I'm in love with an amazing, though occasionally infuriating, woman? Where I'm at the top of my profession, where I'm finally getting along with my father? Is that the kind of life you're so desperate so save me from?"

"Think about where we were when you were exposed to HIV," Robin begged. "You couldn't even say the word 'relationship,' much less bring yourself to be in one. You ran away every time something happened that threatened to show you cared about someone other than yourself. You were always ready for the next great conquest, whether it was a surgery or a woman, and you took great pains to remind me that we were never anything serious. So tell me, Patrick!" she pushed, "Tell me how that man would have reacted to waking up in a committed relationship with only one woman! Word that you're healthy is going to get around soon. What happens when all the hot nurses and doctors start throwing themselves at you again?"

"They don't mean anything anymore!" Patrick cried. "The only difference between how I felt about you then versus how I feel about you now is that I can admit how I feel about you now. That's it! The only person who has a problem accepting who I am now is you."

Robin shook her head sadly. "That's not true, and you know it. The last time you were completely healthy and could act without repercussions, the thought of settling down with just one woman terrified you. I don't doubt that you fell in love with me, Patrick, but you need the chance to find out if you would have gotten here if you didn't think your world was ending."

They fell silent, and the sounds of the crowd from inside swelled over them. It was almost New Year's.

 _"Ten!"_

Patrick reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. "It was my mother's, just in case you wanted to know."

 _"Nine!"_

Robin looked at the ring. "It's beautiful," she said softly.

 _"Eight!"_

Patrick turned away from her and leaned back against the railing, looking out over the Port Charles waterfront.

 _"Seven!"_

"You know," Patrick said quietly, "My dad was so happy when I told him I was doing this."

 _"Six!"_

Robin leaned against the railing too, looking out over the water. "I'm so sorry, Patrick." Tears spilled down her cheeks again.

 _"Five!"_

"What happens now?" Patrick asked, clenching the ring in his hand. "I don't know what we do now."

 _"Four!"_

Robin shrugged sadly. "You see what your options really are. Things are going to change so much now that you're healthy."

 _"Three!"_

Patrick nodded slowly. "So, you don't know either?"

 _"Two!"_

Robin shook her head. "No, I don't."

 _"One!"_

 _"Happy New Year!"_

Patrick kept his gaze out on the harbor, listening to all the happy people just feet away inside the ballroom. He had heard once that who you spend New Year's Eve with was who you were meant to be with forever.

Patrick had never been superstitious.

"Happy New Year," he whispered.

With fresh tears pooling in her eyes, Robin nodded sadly and looked out onto the water.

"Happy New Year."


End file.
